Apparatus for the treatment of plastic material.



D. E. REID.

APPARATUS FOR THE TREATMENT OF PLASTIC MATERIAL.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 21. 1914.

Patented June 20, 1916.

Finance,

DAVID E. REID, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIG-NOR T0 EASTMAN KODAKCOMPANY, 0E ROGHESTER, NEW YORK, ACORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

APPARATTIS FOR THE TREATMENT OF PLASTIC MATERIAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 21, i914. Serial No. 820,147.

To all whom it may'concern I Be it known that I, DAVID E. REID, ofRochester in the county of Monroe and State of blew Yo'rk,have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for the Treatment ofPlastic Material; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact-description of the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing, forming'a part of this spec1- fication, and to thereference-numerals marked thereon.

My present invention has for its object to i provide an apparatus forthe treatment of liquid or plastic material and more particularly forthe formation into sheets webs, pellicles or filaments of v suchmaterial which is treated by being subjected to the action of a liquid,as, for instance, the formation of a sheet from an aqueous solution ofviscose or cellulose xanthate whichis coagulated or rendered insolubleby treatment with different chemical solutions, although some of thefeatures of my invention are useful for other purposes.

To. these and other ends the invention consists in certain improvementshereinafter .described, the novel features of which are pointed out inthe claims.

In the drawings forming a part of this application, I have shown anenlarged View partly in section of an apparatus constructed inaccordance with my invention and particularly adapted for the formationof sheets or webs of such material as viscose.

In said drawings,'1 indicates a tank constructed of any suitablematerial and adapted to contain a liquid which is maintained at aboutthelevel ipdicated by the line 2. 3 indicates a drum or wheel mounted insuitable bearings in the sides of the tank adapted to revolve in thedirection indicated by the arrow. The surface of this drum'is smooth andpolished and its axial length is substantially that of the width of theweb. to be formed. of the drum and above the fluid is a receptacle orhopper indicated by 4 into which.

' the plastic material is delivered in any suitable manner and saidhopper is provided Arranged over the upper surface with an adjustablegate 5 so that the proper quantity of material can be allowed to flowon-the surface of the drum as and the material so deposited will becarried by therotation of the drum beneath the surface of the treatingliquid. In the manufacture ofviscose sheets, the fluid contained in thetank in which the drum revolves operates to'coagulate the viscose and itis found that instead of allowing the liquid viscose deposited upon thedrum to enter the coagulating liquid in the condition that it comes fromthe hopper, it is advisable to preliminarily coagulate or set itssurface heater conforms somewhat to the surface'ofthe drum and extendsfrom near the hopper toward the surface of the liquid in the tank.

8 indicates'a hood preferably constructed of sheet metal and extendingin close proximity to the upper edge of the heater, the interior of thehood being connected to a suitable air ex hausting device so as to drawthe heatedair upwardly between the heater and the drum surface wherebythe plastic material on the Patented June so, rare.

it revolves,

surface of the drum above the drum will be heated not only by directradiation from the heater but by the upwardly rislng current of hot airand a portion of the moisture removed. The particular form of heater andthe air circulating device are not essential, although the arrangementshown is admirably adapted for the purpose. The preliminary heating orcoagulation of the plastic material before it enters the bath is foundin practice to be advantageous. The plastic material is carried on thesurface of the drum down into and through the liquid surface, passesover the roll 9 under the roll 10, over the roll 11,under the roll 12,then up and over the roll 13 and through other tanks 1 or suitableapparatus for further treatment. a

In order that the surface of thedrum may be'clea'nsed and prepared forthe reception ofthe plasticmaterial, I arrange between the surface ofthe liquid in the tank and I the hopper, a washing device foreffectively removing from the drum surface the fluid coagulant whichmight remain on the drum beneath the deposited plastic material and bycrystallization or .otherwise, 'injuriously affect the surface of theWeb. This cleansing means, in the present embodiment, consists of-awater spraying device formed of a pipe 15 having fine perforations 1nthe under side thereof. This pipe extends longi tudinally of'the drum'and serves to apply finestreams or a'spray of water or other cleansingfluid to'its surface. .The cleansing fluid is .not' allowed to enter thetank but is arrested and conveyed away by a dam,

cooperating with the surface of thedrum at a lowerr'level and'on therising side of the drum as it rotates. The dam which I have found bestadapted for this purpose consists ,of a hollow roll 16 having {itseriphery covered with a layer of soft rubher 17 through which a seriesof fine apertures are provided, communicating with the interior of the"roll and the said interior is connected to a suitable pump or airexhausting device which draws the air and the washing water arrested-bythe dam, through the orifices into the roll and conveys it to anysuitable point of deposit outside of the tank. The exhausting device isof sufiicient capacity toremove the water from the drum surface and withit, any of the liquid drawnupfrom the tank; The surplus moisture onthesurfaceof thedrum is removed and the drum surface partially-dried by anabsorbent roll 19 having its surface covered with fabric and itsinterior may, if desired,

- be heated. to facilitate thedrying. It is. not

necessary that the drum surface be absolutely dry beforeit reaches thehopper but the Washing operation thus accomplished is found tobesufficient for all practical pur ses, It will be understood that so faras my present invention is concerned, the character of the liquid in thetank and its action upon the plastlc material is immaterial as theapparatus is capable of beingused for various purposes which involveeither the preliminary drying or treatment of the deposited-maternal orthe provision of a clean ful inthe manufacture of sheets of a maorsetting operation and subsequent treatment by a liquid I'claim as myinvention:

1. In an apparatus for the manufacture of plastic material in lengths,the combination with a tank containing a liquid,- of a rotary drumhaving a portion of its surface submerged in the liquid, meansfordepositing material on the drum and a heater arranged in proximity tothe drum and between the depositing device and the surface of theliquid.

2. In an apparatus for the manufacture of-plastic material in lengths,the combination with a tank containing a liquid, of a rotary drum havinga portion of its surface submerged in the liquid, means for deposit- 1ing material on the drum surface, means for heating the outer surface ofthe material deposited on the drum and located in close proximity to thedrum and between the depositing means and the surface of the liquid. a l

3. In an apparatus for the manufacture of plastic material in lengths,the combination with a tank containing a liquid, a rotary drum partiallysubmerged therein and means for depositing material on the drum surface,of a heater arranged in close proximity .to the drum and between thedepositing means and the surface of the liquid,

means for supplying liquid to the drum surface in rear of the depositingmeans and means located between the liquid supply and the liquid in thetank for removing the liquid from the drum surface.

4;. The combination with a tank containing liquid, and a rotarydrumpartially submerged therein, of an elastic rotary dam and a liquidsupply located above it.

5.'The combination with a tank containing liquid and a rotaryimperforate drum partially submerged therein, of a hollow rol-ler'havinga yielding perforated surface in contact with the outer surface of thedrum and arranged at'a level below the crest or upper side thereof and asuction aplparatus connected to the interior of the ro 6. Thecombination with a tank containing :liquid, a rotary drum partiallysubmerged therein, and means for su plying I terial which requires apreliminary drying cooperating with the surface of the drum a fluid tothe surface of the drum, 0 means for supplying liquid to the drumsurface in rear 0 the first mentioned means, ahollow perforated rollhaving a yielding surface cooperating with that of the drum and "asuction apparatus connected with thein- .terior of said roll. surface torecelve 'deposlted material, or both, but it is, as a whole,particularly use 7. The combination with a tank containmerge therein andmeans for supplying ing liquid,- a rotary drum partially submemaasurface of the drum between said liquid supplying means and thereceptacle for plastic material. l

DAVID E. REID. Witnesses:

C. E. MARTIN, ARMAND A. MAURER.

